1. Technical Field
The present exemplary embodiment relates to elastomeric articles having integrated sensor systems. It finds particular application in conjunction with monitoring physical and engineering properties of the elastomeric article with embedded sensors, and will be described with particular reference to vehicle tires. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications including monitoring parameters for other elastomeric articles such as elastomeric articles capable of performing work.
2. Background Information
Elastomeric articles such as air springs and vehicle tires are often subjected to a wide range of internal and external forces during use. The result of the work performed by the viscoelastic materials can be indicated by temperature, a thermodynamic quantity, as a measure of the useful work lost to heat. Tires are designed to withstand repeated internal and external forces and the resulting temperatures within an operational window at various loads and internal pressures. When an elastomeric article experiences conditions beyond this operational window, the performance of the article can be shortened. For example, in some situations, a vehicle tire that is being improperly used may include components that are subjected to excessive shear forces during use (e.g.: repeated cyclic deformation). These internal forces generate heat that will raise the internal temperature of the tire. Overheated tire components may eventually break down and alter the tire performance. Tires that are not adequately inflated to the pressures required for their operating conditions may also overheat and may ultimately suffer heat-related wear that may reduce their operational lifespan. In certain instances where the vehicle is engaged in performing a work task such as hauling coal in a mining operation or transferring cargo on public highways, the impact of reduced tire lifespan can negatively affect the work task causing loss of productivity and increased operational costs.
Today's vehicles also include actively-managed suspension and braking systems. These systems infer or assume data about the relationship between the tire and the road surface. Vehicle manufacturers desire a system to obtain measurable real-time engineering data from the tire so that these data may be used to actively manage the vehicle's operation.
It is therefore desirable to sense parameters experienced by the tires and by the tire components such as forces including stresses and strains, temperatures, vibrations, and other conditions to provide useful information concerning the status of the tire and its components.